Deirdre Hyde: Fragments of a Tropical Life
Growing up in the English countryside southwest of London, Deirdre Hyde was surrounded by nature from a young age, and developed a fascination with the natural world. In 1979, when she was in her mid-20s, Hyde joined a British expedition to Cocos Island National Park, off the coast of Costa Rica. It proved to be a life-changing trip. Hyde has made her home in Costa Rica ever since, working as an illustrator and collaborating with national parks and other organizations on conservation efforts.
Hyde’s chosen home provides constant inspiration in the form of flora and fauna, and her work reflects her reverence for the natural world that surrounds her. Her home studio is built into the side of a hill; it feels perched in the treetops, like a bird’s nest with an incredible view. Alongside her illustrations and commissions that focus on faithful rendering, Hyde has embarked on a body of work in which she loosens up and experiments with color, pattern, and texture while still reveling in the rich biodiversity of her home country.
Hyde uses printmaking, collage, hand-stitching, and weaving to reflect the interconnectedness and chaos of nature. Her imagery moves from realistic and recognizable forms to more abstract and expressive shapes and patterns derived from plant life and jungle creatures. There is an energy to the work that echoes the cacophony and vivid color of the tropics. It’s a celebration of life, and also a warning: Hyde is reminding us that we humans are nature, too; that we are inextricably linked with our environment, and our survival depends on our appreciation and protection of our precious planet.
— Sarah Freeman, curator
During the 45 years of my life in Costa Rica, as I worked as an illustrator for tropical conservation agencies, I created a massive collection of sketches, woodcuts, screen prints, and lithographs, all side products of my awe for the living world.
I harvest fragments from these works to weave collages, recombining them to achieve a new purpose. It’s an enriching process, layering meaning on meaning. Similarly, I stitch salvaged remnants of fabric into these collages, multiplying their significance in what proves to be a hypnotic practice.
This exhibit is about binding, bending, and blending shreds of my life on the Rich Coast, and repurposing the production of the busy hands of other generations of women to tell a tale of bacteria, fungus, and the compulsive life force of the tropics.
— Deirdre Hyde
This exhibition is sponsored in part by a gift from Ken and Eve Klothen.
RELATED EVENTS
March 21, Saturday, 5 p.m. — Opening of New Exhibits
May 16, Saturday, 2-4 p.m. — Workshop: Repurposing Fragments in Collage and Appliqué
RELATED RESOURCES
Installation views (coming soon)
Ask the Artist!
